Main panel grounding

[peter52]

I always use no-lox on any dissimilar metals. But I don't see any evidence of any in the picture. I thought you guys might have a better answer than mine. I prefer to use no-lox, and then spray paint any bare steel parts. I can be totaly anal some times.

 

[charlie]

Your lucky. Around here it's not allowed by the POCO, IMO, just another useless requirement.

Some electric utilities prohibit and some permit. We have gone both ways. The concern is permitting public access could permit current diversion.

Here the GEC is nearly always landed in the meter socket which is customer owned.

This is the best place for the connection since it provided a path for lightning before it gets into the service equipment.

. . . why would you install it at the meter since that is not the disconnecting means?

250.24(A)(1) General. The grounding electrode conductor connection shall be made at any accessible point from the load end of the service drop or service lateral to and including the terminal or bus to which the grounded service conductor is connected at the service disconnecting means.

. . . land GEC in the meterbase. poco requires it . . .

Some do, especially the REMCs, since this is the best place for the connection since it provided a path for lightning before it gets into the service equipment.

 

[charlie]

(200.2 b NEC 2008) Is this little change relevant?

Not in my opinion. The change was to assure that the continuity of a grounded conductor shall not depend on a connection to a metallic enclosure, raceway, or cable armor. This thread is discussing the grounding electrode conductor termination, not the grounded (neutral most of the time) conductor. :smile:

 

[mdshunk]

I always use no-lox on any dissimilar metals. But I don't see any evidence of any in the picture. I thought you guys might have a better answer than mine. I prefer to use no-lox, and then spray paint any bare steel parts. I can be totaly anal some times.

You might be causing some trouble when you do that. I have some Polaroids someplace of a couple high-dollar breakers that burned up their bus connections when some "smart guy" used Penetrox between the silver plated tabs on the breakers and the copper bus of the switchgear. The resultant connection was less than good, and failed in grand style.

 

[peter52]

no-lox

no-lox

It seems to depend on which inspector I am working with. Every town, village, and city has their own way, and this drives me crazy some times. So many times I have found major corrosion problems, especially in meter cans. How do you guys handle this.

 

[jrannis]

add me to the list of people who land GEC in the meterbase. poco requires it, there's a place for it, poco supplies 200a millbanks. (they found some 100a milbanks for us during the big ice storm repair, but their official line is that they don't use 100a cans anymore.)

never dremeled any paint off anything. I thread the holes when I'm putting any kind of lug or ground bus anywhere, and use the green screws. I like them a lot.

I scrape paint very rarely, maybe the cans I use are not painted.
Is scraping paint, when using threaded holes, like taping wirenuts?

 

[iwire]

I scrape paint very rarely, maybe the cans I use are not painted.
Is scraping paint, when using threaded holes, like taping wirenuts?

No, it is not 'like tapping wire nuts' it is actually required by the NEC.

You should be removing the paint in most applications.

Check out 250.12, it says more or less 'paint shall be removed from threads and other contact surfaces'

You can forget that with 'fittings designed to make it unnecessary'

 

[louisfulleriv@yahoo.com]

great words

 

[jrannis]

No, it is not 'like tapping wire nuts' it is actually required by the NEC.

You should be removing the paint in most applications.

Check out 250.12, it says more or less 'paint shall be removed from threads and other contact surfaces'

You can forget that with 'fittings designed to make it unnecessary'

Seems like the paint would be removed as the bolt engaged the threads.
It would depend if you were relying on the threads of the bolt or the surface area of the back of the lug.
If the paint is conductive, does it have to be removed?